Sky-Diving in Cincinnati

Our urban tribe began with a small group of college friends who, after graduation, began careers at the same company. Our tribe soon grew to include work colleagues, and we now number between ten and twenty members. After college, most of us assumed that we'd follow the traditional route: pair off, get married, and begin a family. However, it became apparent that meeting someone special and choosing marriage was more difficult than we had realized. We soon found ourselves gravitating toward the bonds of friendship rather than the ties of romantic relationships.

What holds us together? That's easy. We jump out of planes together, combine for long touchdown passes, and cheer when our friends hit for the cycle in softball. We cut each other's hair. We bring gifts back from Europe, we know everyone's childhood baggage, and we pick each other up when our cars run out of gas. We're honest about bad outfits, we call each other out on poor morals, and we get seasick together.

The picture shows our tribe throwing a going-away party for two members, reflecting how our group is changing as we move on to new careers, graduate school, and/or serious romantic relationships.
--Anne Marie White